Starting in 1957, every year ATypI has hosted the most important and only truly global event on type and typography. This, of course, requires a significant amount of experience and manpower. We are happy to present the team behind our 2018 conference.

Verena Gerlach outlines the results of the type design workshop »Ala has a pen / Ala ma pióro«, which took place at the Academy of Fine Arts in Kotowice, Poland. From the 2013 ATypI conference in Amsterdam.

The presentation will discuss the phenomenon of ‘flow’ originally conceived and coined by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi and its relationship to graphic design and typography.
‘Flow’ is a phenomenon often experienced in great quantity by musicians, artists and athletes. It is a moment of absolute concentration where the world, distractions and time all disappear in an unfiltered moment of focused activity. Some call it entering the zone or getting lost in the moment. The Korean word for this is ‘mohrib’ or ‘samae’. The Hindu word for this is ‘Samadhi’. It is a multi-cultural phenomenon and one that Csizkentmihalyi has found to lead to greater amounts of happiness and satisfaction.
In generations past, ‘flow’ could similarly be heavily linked to the practice of design. Design was an all engrossing moment of ‘flow’ and it was often because of this state that some designers chose to be designers in the first place. But in recent years, the experience of ‘flow’ in the design process has decreased significantly. There are many factors that have contributed to this. The heavier use of computers and technology are a large part of this. The current design industry system and model are a part of this as well.
This project examines this relationship between design and ‘flow’ and has done so with experiments both in form and typography, surveys and coursework within an academic setting. This presentation will tell the story of some of these investigations and take a closer look at this once strong but now diminishing relationship.

This paper aims to present our approaches of teaching Chinese typography at Hong Kong Design Institute that blend Chinese culture with modern context. The unique historic and cultural background of Hong Kong favoured the flourish of Western culture and values, which in some way weaken our link with Chinese culture. Language, as a basic reflection of cultural heritage in daily utilization, is a perfect platform to inject Chinese culture and tradition back to the heart of our young generation.